Recent Trends in Microbiological Decontamination of Aflatoxins in Foodstuffs (original) (raw)

Implication of Aflatoxin Contamination in Agricultural Products

Aflatoxins are secondary fungal metabolites that contaminate agricultural commodities and can cause sickness or death in humans and animals. Risk of aflatoxin contamination of food and feed in Africa is increased due to environmental, agronomic and socioeconomic factors. Temperature, food substrate, strain of the mould and other environmental factors are some parameters that effect mycotoxin production. Preventing mycotoxin production at farm level is the best way to control mycotoxin contamination. Advances in molecular techniques and other decontamination methods such as gamma-irradiation and microwave heating could help to deal with these issues. Mycotoxins could be used as an energy source for a group of aerobic microorganisms, which are suitable to mycotoxin biodegradation. Several protocols have been provided to biodegrade mycotoxins in food and feed using potential bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. However, there are varieties of responses between different ...

Aflatoxin contamination in food crops: causes, detection, and management: a review

Food Production, Processing and Nutrition

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by several fungal species and molds. Under favorable conditions like high temperature and moisture, they contaminate a large number of food commodities and regional crops during pre and post-harvesting. Aflatoxin is the main mycotoxin that harm animal and human health due to its carcinogenic nature. Aflatoxins are mainly released by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. AFB1 constitutes the most harmful type of aflatoxins and is a potent hepato-carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic and it suppresses the immune system. To maintain food safety and to prevent aflatoxin contamination in food crops, combined approaches of using resistant varieties along with recommended farming practices should be followed. This review concentrates on various aspects of mycotoxin contamination in crops and recent methods to prevent or minimize the contamination.

Public Health Significance of Aflatoxin in Food Industry – A Review

2016

Aflatoxins are a group of related fungal secondary metabolites primarily produced by the fungi, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus colonize a wide variety of food commodities including maize, oilseeds, spices, groundnuts, tree nuts, milk, peanut and dried fruits. However, production of aflatoxin by these fungi depends on drought stress, rainfall, suitability of crop genotype for its climate, insect damage, agricultural practices and postharvest conditions (storage, transportation and food processing). Four major aflatoxins produced naturally are known as aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2. Aflatoxin is both a food safety and public health issue because of its toxicity. When it is consumed, it can exert toxicity by altering intestinal integrity or modulate the expression of cytokins which can result to stunted growth in children and/or immune suppression. In the liver, aflatoxin may be transformed by certain p450 enzyme to its DNA ...

Aflatoxin Contamination, Its Impact and Management Strategies: An Updated Review

Toxins

Aflatoxin, a type of mycotoxin, is mostly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. It is responsible for the loss of billions of dollars to the world economy, by contaminating different crops such as cotton, groundnut, maize, and chilies, and causing immense effects on the health of humans and animals. More than eighteen different types of aflatoxins have been reported to date, and among them, aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 are the most prevalent and lethal. Early detection of fungal infection plays a key role in the control of aflatoxin contamination. Therefore, different methods, including culture, chromatographic techniques, and molecular assays, are used to determine aflatoxin contamination in crops and food products. Many countries have set a maximum limit of aflatoxin contamination (2–20 ppb) in their food and agriculture commodities for human or animal consumption, and the use of different methods to combat this menace is essential. Fungal infection mostly t...

Aflatoxins In Foods And Feeds: A Review On Health Implications, Detection, And Control

Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences, 2020

Aflatoxins are mycotoxins produced by some fungi found on agricultural crops like peanuts, cottonseed, tree nuts, and maize (corn). The major molds which make aflatoxins including Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus that are common in the humid and warm areas of theglobe. Major types of aflatoxins include Aflatoxin B1 and B2 (AFB) and Aflatoxin G1 and G2 (AFG); their metabolites include Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), Aflatoxin M2 (AFM2), Aflatoxicol (AFL), and Aflatoxin Q1 (AFQ1). Aflatoxin B1 is considered the most toxic. Aflatoxin-producing molds may infect agricultural produces in field, during harvests, and also in storage facilities. Aflatoxin-producing molds are commonly detected in inadequately stored agricultural produce including maize, rice, cassava, cottonseed, millet, sorghum, sesame seeds, sweetcorn, chili peppers, tree nuts, sunflower seeds, spices, and wheat. Children are mostly impacted by exposures to aflatoxin; which has been linked to liver cancer, liver impairment, delay in development, and stunted growth. In developed countries, the mean exposures to aflatoxins via diet are usually below 1 ng/kg body weight (bw) per day, while estimates for many sub-Saharan African countries go beyond 100 ng/kg body weight per day. The estimates of dietary exposures to AFM1 hardly exceed 1 ng/kg body weight a day in countries. No animal species has shown immunity to the acute toxicities of aflatoxins. The major target organ in the mammals is the liver; aflatoxicosis is primarily a hepatic disease. Regular diet such as apiaceous vegetables, like parsnips, carrots, parsley, and celery can decrease carcinogenic effect of aflatoxins. A range of methods for detecting aflatoxins in foods and feeds are available. Aflatoxin control is needed in pre-harvest as wells in postharvest handling. Major lasting, sustainable solution to control pre-harvest infection ofaflatoxin is via improving capability of crops to prevent fungal infections or preventing aflatoxins productions by fungal invasion.

Aflatoxin Contamination in Agricultural Commodities

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring Mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aspergillus flavus is common and widespread in nature and is most often found when certain grains are grown under stressful conditions such as draught. The mold occurs in soil, decaying vegetation, hay and grains undergoing microbiological deterioration and invades all types of organic substrates whenever and wherever the conditions are favourable for its growth. Favourable conditions include high moisture content and high temperature.The aflatoxin group is comprised of aflatoxin B 1 ,B 2 ,G 1 and G 2 . In addition , aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ), a hydroxylated metabolite of AFB 1 , is excreted in the milk of dairy cows consuming an AFB 1 -contaminated ration. Aflatoxin B 1 a prototype of the aflatoxins, is widely recognized as the most potent hepato carcinogenic compound and along with other certain members of the group, possess additional toxic properties including mutagenicity, tetrogenicity, acute cellular toxicity and it suppresses the immune system. Aflatoxin contamination of food and feed has gained global significance as a result of its deleterious effects on human as well as animal health. The marketability of food products is adversely affected by aflatoxin contamination.

Health impacts of aflatoxin and control of aflatoxigenic fungi

International Journal of Current Research in Biosciences and Plant Biology, 2020

Aflatoxins are a group of related fungal metabolites primarily produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxin is a global food safety concern with rural subsistence farming communities in developing countries being the populations most at risk of exposure. Aflatoxin contamination is the main food safety problem for field crops produced in tropical and subtropical climate regions where high temperature and humidity promote growth and proliferation of Aspergillus spp. Foods and feeds, especially cereal grains, are susceptible to invasion by molds during pre-harvest, processing, transportation, or storage. Aflatoxins impose effects in both economic and health sectors where the crisis leads to death of human beings and animals. The most well established health effect of chronic aflatoxin exposure are hepatocellular carcinoma impaired child growth and immune suppression. To minimize the risk of aflatoxicosis, there are several physical, chemical and biological methods available, but the biological strategies are safest and well effective. Therefore, this review was aimed to show the health impact of aflatoxins and the promising strategies against aflatoxin contamination.